Flows From Heaven to the Soul
by Ina Moramento
Summary: Rin desperately wishes for musical lessons, Sesshoumaru desperately wishes to escape his own. Will the unwilling become the willing? Sesshoumaru x Rin
1. Chapter 1

**_Flows From Heaven to the Soul_**

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_Author's Note:_ As you can probably tell, this is my first fanfiction involving characters from the anime Inuyasha. The plot for this story was something I wanted to make into a Seto x Serenity fanfiction, but alas, their characters are too different. I've decided to make it a Sesshoumaru x Rin fanfiction. For this story you'll need to imagine that Sesshoumaru is around 22 years of age (senior in college) and Rin is around 18 years of age (senior in high school). I'll try my hardest to make this work; hope the end product is enjoyable for you all.

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**Prologue:**

Every single day she pondered taking a different path back home; but for some inexplicable reason, she was always drawn down Sterling Avenue. She knew the moment she stepped foot onto the gum wad and dirt free sidewalks that she didn't belong in this area. She didn't belong in the upscale, metropolitan side of town where the women looked like they walked fresh off of runways. She wasn't supposed to mingle with men who sat tall in corporate skyscrapers, whose sons followed close behind ready to take control of a multimillion dollar company. It wasn't right.

And yet… here she was.

Every single day, at exactly 3:45 PM, she stood in front of the Nota Music studio at 918 Sterling Avenue and closed her eyes to simply listen. There was always something new; pianos never feel the same way twice. She'd listen and quietly twirl her hands, pretending that she was sitting on a rich mahogany stool, in front of a grand piano, conversing with it, coaxing out its rich secrets, its hidden melodies. She'd drift off into the enchantment until 4:00, because that was when the person taking their lesson would quietly leave, and she couldn't be seen.

But today was different; it wasn't quiet today. Looking inside the glass window at the clock inside, she wondered why the music had ended at only 3:50. Worriedly she backed away from the glass and took light, quick steps away from the studio door. As soon as she cleared the doorway it swung open.

"You could have been the best pianist there ever was! But you can never tap that full potential because you're just too lazy to practice! There are millions of kids out there who'd die for a chance at musical lessons but you're just throwing it all away!"

A young man stretched his arms out wide and blew out a long breath. "You're just jealous that even though I might not practice, I'm still better than you are. If there are millions of kids out there, then why don't you find some? I don't see you giving any free, charity lessons old man." He rifled through the inside pocket of his school uniform until he found his car keys. "You better watch the attitude or you won't find a paycheck from my father in the mail."

Rin watched as Sesshoumaru slid into his shiny black BMW and sped off. The teacher was right; there were millions of people who'd love the chance to take piano lessons, and one of them had just walked down the street.

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That's just the introduction material. More on both characters in the upcoming chapters.

Ina Moramento


	2. Chapter 2 : Introduction

**_Flows From Heaven to the Soul_**

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_Author's Note:_ Thank you for the 60 people who took the time to read through the prologue, and to the two reviewers: 

_suena, rinsess4Ever, sweet-, Lilac Cherry Blossoms, Odi et amo._

I'll continue to expand this story in the next few chapters. The titles might be unfamiliar to some, but this fanfiction will be set up like the movements of a sonata; but more about that later.

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**Chapter 1 : Introduction**

_Kuroyama High School_

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

The entire student body at Kuroyama High School was buzzing with the latest news. In fact, the entire prefecture was charged with a shocking proposition.

"The renowned pianist, Mr. Itou, just issued a contest. Anyone who can travel to his Nota music studio every single day for an hour is eligible to win a year of free piano lessons!"

Rin sat silently at her desk. _'Could this be true?'_

"You're lying!"

"No, I'm not! I have proof and I'll show you!" A girl rifled through her backpack and produced the front page of that morning's local newspaper. She unfolded it with a grand flourish and began to read. "Mr. Itou, one of the world's most celebrated pianists, is offering a year of free piano lessons to one lucky person in the Osaka prefecture. The only requirement is that you must show up every day for an hour. In order to enter such a contest, you must write 500 words or less of why you believe you deserve such lessons and mail it to the Nota music studio by the end of the week. The winner's name will be published in that day's news."

Shouts erupted from Rin's classroom as classmates argued over who would win. The number of entries this kind of a contest would rake in made Rin's hopes fall. Certainly her entry would be one of hundreds, maybe thousands. Besides, she didn't feel that her life situation was so special or particularly deserving above that of anyone else. It was Monday and because the contest ended on Sunday, she was sure many people would rush in and bombard the studio with entries. Nevertheless, she harbored a small dream of winning too, and began to brainstorm.

_Tetsu Academy_

Miles across town was the Tetsu Academy, a private all men's college, and the same news was being circulated and discussed.

"Isn't Mr. Itou your teacher Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru was moving side to side in his plush, rolling chair. His neck was bent back and he didn't bother to sit up. "Yeah. He's ancient and backwards. I actually pity the person who is going to win that contest."

His male classmates laughed. "Yeah but it's pretty unfair that he charges everyone else thousands of dollars for lessons. How does your dad feel about that?"

This time Sesshoumaru sat up. He was stone faced and his voice came out in a sharp growl. "He's got the money to spend on my hanyou brother and his pitiful human wife. I could care less how much I cost him. You remember that before you ever mention him to me again."

"S...s...sorry Sess...Sesshoumaru." His classmates bowed a little and shuffled out of the classroom. Nobody got the dog demon mad. The last person that dared to had ended up in the hospital... and he was still there.

Sesshoumaru mulled around in his chair a little longer and looked at the clock in the room. He had another lesson with Mr. Itou today at the regular time. Grumbling he picked up his backpack, swung it over his shoulder and headed out the door.

_Sterling Avenue_

"Sesshoumaru I'm in my office!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and let the door slam shut behind him. He walked along slowly into the dimly lit office of Mr. Itou. "What?"

Mr. Itou was used to his arrogant student and ignored his comment. "Please sit down. I have something important to tell you."

"I'll stand."

"Suit yourself Sesshoumaru." Mr. Itou put his wire framed glasses on and picked up the front page of the newspaper on his desk. "I assume you've heard of my proposition to the community? The contest?"

Sesshoumaru stared straight ahead and shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to answer.

"Well you're going to help me pick the winner. So instead of being here for one hour, you'll be with me for two or three... perhaps more, depending on how many entries we get a day. We'll pick the top entry of each day until the last day and then we'll have 7 total. You'll probably have to stay late Sunday night to help me pick the final winner. I expect that you'll also drop off the winning entry at the newspaper's office that night as well so they can publish the winner." Mr. Itou didn't bother to look up at Sesshoumaru.

Good thing he didn't because Sesshoumaru was livid. "You can't make me stay. I have other things to do. This isn't part of my lesson anyways!"

"Well then let's get to the lesson shall we?" Mr. Itou stood up and walked pass Sesshoumaru and into his studio room. "Don't bother mentioning your dad and don't dare to not show up. I'll just tell him you're not quite working to your full potential. Now let's get started."

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Thank you all for your support.

Ina Moramento


	3. Chapter 3 : Exposition

_**Flows From Heaven to the Soul****

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**_

_**Author's Note:**_ A big thanks to the following:

_Lilac Cherry Blossoms, Odi et amo_., _nisec, EnchantressRai, and sweet-_

for their encouraging words. I realize the prologue was about 500 words and Chapter 1 was about 900. I'll try and write meatier sections, but I also want to be able to have complete thoughts in each chapter without rambling on.

_**

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**_

**Chapter 2 : Exposition**

_Kuroyama High School_

"I'm already finished with my entry!"

"Me too!"

"I had my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles read it. Even my older sister who is majoring in literature at Tokyo University said it was superb!"

"Oh yeah? I had the teachers read mine. They think I'm going to win it for sure."

"You guys are all stupid! Don't you think the teachers want the free lessons too? The contest rules said that _anybody_ could enter as long as they could make it to the lesson every single day for a year. Our own teachers are our enemies." The same girl that brought the newspaper to class the other day looked disdainfully at her classmates.

Rin sat in the corner at the far back of the classroom. She looked over at the girl who had spoken, Yura Hashimoto. Although their school was located in the poorer side of town, Yura came from an upper middle class family. Her family owned most of the land and thus the homes on the property as well. The Hashimoto family made their living by charging obscene amounts of rent to the families that lived on their land. Most of her classmates hated her attitude, but feared making her angry or else their family could be kicked out of their homes. Yura had short, perfect, dark green hair and she always wore crimson red lipstick to match her fake contacts. She oozed evil and chaos.

"Anyways, if you guys were smart you'd know that it takes money to win contests." Yura took out her comb and began to delicately move through her hair. "Of course none of you have very much money. You're certainly not rich like me so you have no idea how things like this really work." She threw back her head and laughed. "Honestly... do you think a man like Mr. Itou is doing something like this out of _charity? _Get real! He's obviously only doing this for media attention. How many of you actually knew his name before the article came out?"

Nobody in the classroom raised their hand or dared to looked up.

"That's what I thought." Yura put the comb back into her backpack. "I'm going to have my father drive me down there every single day until the contest ends. We'll see what really talks to Mr. Itou. _My money_... or your stupid little words."

The school bell rang and the class filed out leaving Rin behind, alone and unnoticed. It was only Tuesday and she felt like giving up yet again. She knew her classmates weren't bluffing when they said they were done. She had seen many papers floating around class and the entries were all well written.

There was another thing depressing her. With Yura going to Mr. Itou's studio all the time it would be impossible for her to stop by. Rin got up from her seat dejectedly and decided to just walk home. Today was the first day she had not gone to the studio.

_Nota music studio_

_"_I don't want to do this anymore!" Sesshoumaru yelled as he brought his two fists down on the table. "I've been sitting here for three hours! It's 6 PM and I've read about two hundred of those damn letters. I can't read anything else!"

Mr. Itou's studio was actually below his apartment. Upstairs he smiled as he tasted the soup he was making for dinner. Dinner that Sesshoumaru would probably be staying for too since there were two boxes full of letters sent from the post office and they still had another 100 letters to go.

Hearing no response angered Sesshoumaru even further. "Why don't you just let that Yura girl win?" He thought back to the girl that stopped by the shop earlier in the day. The girl that took a full hour to get back out the door and convince that she couldn't just buy her way to win. "She has the money to pay for the lessons _and_ to win the contest on top of that. You'd make your job a whole lot easier."

Mr. Itou appeared at the bottom of the staircase to his apartment carrying a steaming pot of miso soup and rice. "You mean I'd be making _your_ life easier." He set down the pot on the table and produced two bowls and two sets of chopsticks from his old dark blue apron. "Why would I possibly want to do that? Besides, this contest was all inspired by you anways."

"Me?" Sesshoumaru grabbed his bowl and watched as Mr. Itou ladled hot soup and fresh noodles into it. "I never talked to you about anything like this. I would have remembered if I signed my nights away to slavery."

"Oh-ahahaha... slavery... that's a clever one." Mr. Itou started to fill his own bowl. "Do you remember when you stormed out of my studio?"

Sesshoumaru looked up with a mouthful of noodles. "Which time?"

"Ahahaha... that's right... you do seem to do that a lot." The steam from the hot soup started to fly into Mr. Itou's and fog up his glasses so he patiently took them off and wiped them with his shirt. "A few days ago actually. Sunday I believe, last Sunday. You yelled that you've never seen me give lessons for free; lessons so that underpriveleged could learn music as well. I thought about that. That was probably one of your more thought provoking comments actually. Anyways, I decided to do this for the love of teaching and of sharing my craft with others."

"... ok." Sesshoumaru was too busy eating. Eating was way more entertaining than reading more letters.

"So then my young apprentice... what entry have we got for today?" Mr. Itou began to eat the noodles he had prepared.

Sesshoumaru reluctantly put down the bowl. "We haven't finished with about 100 more of the letters. We won't know until we've read those ones... unless you'd like to pick one randomnly and call it a night."

Mr. Itou took a large gulp of the soup. "No. We'll read as we eat. If you're still hungry I can always make more food."

Sesshoumaru growled and stuck his face back into the soup bowl. "Damn."

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You will get eventually get to read some of the entries. 

Ina Moramento


	4. Chapter 4 : Theme One

_**Flows From Heaven to the Soul**_

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_Author 's Note: _I am of course extremely grateful to the following: 

_Odi et amo., sweet-, sessy, sphinx,_ and _Hizashino Hana_

I know I haven't exactly put any "disclaimers", but I feel it's quite obvious that I don't own _Inuyasha._ Also, a warning about some "language" in this chapter. I am looking forward to exposing more and more as we proceed with the story. Thank you for your patience.

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**Chapter 4 : ****_Theme One_**

_Kuroyama High School_

Class had not been very much fun that day. Things were never as much fun when Yura was in a bad mood. Although she normally had a sour disposition, today was definitely one of her moodiest days. Being the inconsiderate, foul person that she was, she decided it was fitting to take her anger out on her classmates. "I hate all of you bitches!" Yura had her comb engulfed in her vise like grip. "Every single one of you. If I had it my way I'd have my parents kick all of your filthy peasant families off of our property." Even though there was still a good five minutes of their independent study period left, Yura packed up her things and shoved her way through the desks and out the door.

There was a collective, and very audible, sigh when the door closed shut behind Yura. "What is her problem this time?" A guy sitting next to Rin shouted out to the rest of the class.

A girl sitting near the front of the class waved her hand in the air. "I know, I know!" She beckoned the class forward and peered back at the door to make sure Yura wasn't thinking about returning anytime soon. "I have a cousin who was at a shop near the Nota music studio yesterday. Apparently Ms. Yura couldn't exactly bribe her way into winning the contest. My cousin said she heard her screaming and throwing things around and then this really tall student of Mr. Itou's had to pick her up and carry her out."

"Are you serious?" Another girl sitting across the room started to laugh. "That really doesn't sound like something Yura would let happen to her. Not that she doesn't deserve it!" The entire classroom started to roar with claps and laughter of approval. Rin sat back and smiled as she looked out the window. As the bell rang to signal the end of the independent study period, Rin picked up her backpack and decided to visit the Nota music studio that afternoon.

_Nota music studio _

Mr. Itou looked at the clock in his office: 3:10 PM. Sesshoumaru was already 10 minutes late for his lesson and for helping him sort through another three boxes full of entries. Opening his top drawer he took out a small envelope; it was the winning entry from Tuesday by a mother. What made it special out of all the other things they had read yesterday was the fact that it was a plight not for the writer, but for another person. The first selfless entry so far.

_Dear Mr. Itou,_

_It is not for myself that I write this entry into your contest; I write this for my blind son. He is a very good boy, but life has not reciprocated any kindness upon him. My husband died recently so I must struggle to keep our small apartment and buy vitamins for my son's health. He does not go to school because teachers don't have enough patience to help him. The doctors say the disease that caused him to go blind will most likely take his life within the next year or so. I would love to give him the opportunity to learn to play the piano. That way, when he is in heaven, I can hear his music all around me._

Mr. Itou looked at the clock again: 3:20 PM. Still no word or sight of his wayward apprentice. Tired of waiting around Mr. Itou walked to his piano room and sat down at the bench in front of the grand piano. Rubbing his hands together he thought of random songs to play.

Outside Rin was worried about the silence. She had been standing there a little while and hadn't heard a thing. She wondered if anyone was inside or if Yura might possibly stop by again that afternoon.

Around the corner, Sesshoumaru was pushing 70 mph on the city streets to make it to the studio after a detention. Rounding the corner he parked on the opposite street and hopped out of his car. As he rushed across the street he saw a girl standing in front of the studio window. "I thought I told you that you can't just win this competition with money. Are you stupid or something?"

Rin's breathing almost stopped. She turned around and saw a tall man with long silvery hair. _A youkai! _Turning to face the glass window of the studio again she panicked even more as she saw an old man she assumed to be Mr. Itou step into view. "I... I... sorry." She bowed quickly and ran as fast as she could down the street.

Mr. Itou opened the door to his studio. "First of all Sesshoumaru you are late. Second of all, was that Yura again? I just received a phone call from her earlier today. She's a persistent girl for that matter."

Sesshoumaru brushed past Mr. Itou. "First of all I know I'm late. I had a detention. Don't ask. Second of all, that wasn't Yura. She has longer hair and she wasn't wearing a pound of makeup. Let's just hope that she isn't going to bother us too. How many boxes today?"

"Three... but they're larger than yesterday." Mr. Itou closed the door behind him. "Do you want the same thing as yesterday or beef donburi?"

Sesshoumaru sat down in the office chair and groaned. "Beef donburi." He took off his black leather jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white collared shirt. Taking in a deep breath he grabbed an envelope and ripped it open. "Here we go again."

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Yura's, Rin's and others' entries will be featured. I won't write this entire story day by day like this and the chapters will eventually get longer. I'm using this particular set up to stretch out the contest a little and introduce some characters and plot schemes. Thank you again!

Ina Moramento


	5. Chapter 5 : Transition

_**Flows From Heaven to the Soul**_

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_Author 's Note: _Many thanks to the following, 

_chel bel, Lilac Cherry Blossoms, sweet-, Odi et amo., godisawsome, Bert8813, babegalanime _and _CiceroGuided_

there will be more Rin x Sesshoumaru interaction later on as well as longer chapters and more entries. School has started for me and it's my senior year. I will continue to update every other day I hope.

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**Chapter 5 : Transition**

_Kuroyama High School_

Rin couldn't look anyone in the face the entire day. After her encounter with Sesshoumaru she was so afraid to look up from the ground at all that she had bumped into quite a few things on her way from class to class. Nobody thought it was peculiar or strange because Rin was normally very silent. After all, she wanted to be ghostlike and that's how everyone treated her.

Yura was still in an angry mood that Thursday morning. "Three days... just three more days." She absentmindedly began combing her hair again. "Three days... and that stupid old man hasn't budged an inch." She whispered to herself tersely before facing the rest of the class. "You do know that the winning entry will be published on the front page of next Monday's newspaper right?" The rest of the class looked at each other; they were always unsure of how to act around Yura. She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to give you all a sneak peak of my entry."

_Mr. Itou,_

_My name is Ai Hashimoto. I am an 18 year old senior in high school and I live on the poorer side of town. I live with my elderly grandparents alone in a small shack. Since they are old I must work before and after school starts in order to feed them and pay for their medicine. I'm sure there are others who have hard lives too, but I wish to be able to play for my grandparents. They used to own a small store managed by my parents until robbers shot them, took all the money, and burned it down. Their dream was to be able to listen to beautiful music. I hope I can provide that for them. Please help me make their last wishes a reality._

The entire class was dead silent. Yura looked around with mock surprise and innocence. "What?" She began to laugh. "That's right. Who said that anything in the entries had to be real?" The bell joined in with Yura's mocking laughter and the rest of the class watched in silence as she haughtily walked out of the room.

"Can you believe that?"

"That lying bitch!"

"How can she do something like that?"

"I could kill her!"

People were shouting curses and banging on their desks while Rin sat in shocked silence. Everyone knew that Yura was mean. Everyone knew that Yura was selfish. But until this point in time, nobody knew exactly how far she would go. After her completely fabricated entry, they all knew she didn't have any limits or boundaries. She was a loose cannon bent on destruction of anything and anyone at any cost. Rin took her bag and slowly exited unnoticed.

As she walked down the street she felt dizzy.

_How could Yura possible do something like that?_

She looked over at the music studio and contemplated stopping, but there was just too much to think about. Her head was pounding and Rin felt short of breath. She clutched her school bag tighter and had to stop to lean against one of the trees that lined the street.

_Nota Music Studio_

"Sesshoumaru I want you to continue reading those entries." Mr. Itou stepped out the door and decided to lock it just to make sure. He patted his pockets to make sure he had the money for their dinner. "Alright then." He turned to walk down the street when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a young school girl across the street collapse. Gasping he hurriedly unlocked the door and ran back to his office. "Sesshoumaru come with me right now!"

Sesshoumaru was sitting with his legs on top of the desk and he looked at his teacher reluctantly. He uncrossed his legs and stood up to follow Mr. Itou. "What's wrong now? I swear I didn't do anything."

Mr. Itou ran out the door. "It's not that Sesshoumaru. Stop asking useless questions and just do as I say. Look!" He looked both ways cautiously befor crossing the street to reach the fallen figure.

"That's the girl I saw standing out here yesterday." Sesshoumaru said as he bent over to check her pulse. "She's not doing too well. What do you want to do with her?"

The teacher looked at his pupil in exasperation. "I want to just leave her out here!" He slapped his forehead. "What do you think Sesshoumaru? You need to take her to the hospital!"

"Me? Why me?" Sesshoumaru started back angrily. "Why can't you do it since it's your idea to get involved?"

"Are you trying to tell me that you'd do absolutely nothing for this helpless person?"

Sesshoumaru growled under his breath. "Fine I'll take her to the hospital." As he tried to lift Rin she suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for air.

"NO! No hospital." She awkwardly tried to push herself out of Sesshoumaru's grasp and ended up falling onto the pavement. She winced as she made contact with the hard pavement. Standing up shakily she held up her hands in front of her in a motion for them to stop. "I'm fine. Really. I'll be fine. I just need to get home."

As Rin turned to walk, or more like limp away, Mr. Itou cleared his throat. "Young lady the least you could do is introduce yourself and then come into the music studio for dinner." He saw Rin begin to protest again, but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. "I won't take no for an answer. I'll have my student Sesshoumaru show you into the studio and I suggest you sit down and rest. I have to go to the store for some groceries but I will be right back and we can have a decent meal."

Mr. Itou began to walk down the street to the corner grocery and Sesshoumaru looked back at Rin. Without saying a word he pointed to the studio and began to walk across the street. Rin slowly followed behind him and walked inside the studio. She couldn't believe how beautiful it was. No, it wasn't very fancy or decorated, but were pictures of Mr. Itou with various students and in concert halls across the world. She followed Sesshoumaru into the office and sat down at a chair next to him, not willing to meet his gaze. Sesshoumaru wasn't even looking. He had picked up a box filled with contest entries and had resumed his task of reading them.

After a short while Mr. Itou returned. "Let me just get the water boiling and I'll have the soup done in a few minutes." He walked upstairs and left Rin downstairs with Sesshoumaru who had taken a short break to stretch. Rin couldn't help but stare in his direction every so often. He was certainly handsome. It would be a lie to say that he was not physically attractive. He just had this natural sophistication and radiated confidence. "Staring is rude." Sesshoumaru looked up at Rin and groaned. "Don't just sit there! Here." He scooped out a pile of letters and dumped them on the table in front of Rin. "You could at least help me out for all the trouble you've cost."

Rin sat there dumbfounded. On the very top of the pile was a letter from Ai Hashimoto.

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Ina Moramento 


	6. Chapter 6 : Transition Continued

_**Flows From Heaven to the Soul**_

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_Author 's Note: _Big thank you to the following : 

Odi et amo., Zeo-Chan, Lilac Cherry Blossoms, CiceroGuided, lovebbyangel, SessRin2003, ChildlikeEmpress, godisawsome, Sweet-, and fluffy-lover82192

What do to with all these contest letters?

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**Chapter 6 : Transition (continued)**

Rin's fingers trembled as they brushed over the name on the letter: _Ai Hashimoto_. Yura didn't lie about this after all. It was right there in front of her with the light, barely there, handwriting across the top. Picking up the letter, she flipped it over and slipped her right index finger underneath a part of the open flap and began to tear apart the sticky paper. She slowly tried to get it perfect without ripping the rest of the letter, so absorbed in her task that she did not notice the way Sesshoumaru was looking at her through questioning eyes.

"Time to eat!" A red-faced Mr. Itou came chugging downstairs, a soup ladle clutched in his left hand. "Come on, come on! Sesshoumaru bring her upstairs so that we can finally eat! I've made plenty to go around and more for seconds." He motioned to Rin to follow upstairs.

Sesshoumaru turned to her and grumbled again. "Are you going to make me carry you or what? Honestly, does anyone have to tell you when to do things as basic as eating?" Rin turned her face away and stood, not responding vocally. Sesshoumaru stomped up the stairs. "You weren't mute in the street but all of a sudden you can't talk. Useless!"

When Rin finally joined them upstairs she saw the modest looking kitchen and the small dining table. What surprised her was that it was really just one room. On the right side of the room was a small futon and a stack of blankets. He lived so simply despite his high status. As she sat down next to Sesshoumaru at the small round table and folded her hands in her lap, looking at the food. She had never seen so much of it in her life. There was a steaming bowl of rice sitting in front of her, with a pair of chopsticks on the side. In the middle of the table was a piping hot bowl of what seemed to be tsukimi udon, complete with the yolks of three eggs. To the left was a heaping platter of tempura mushrooms, carrot, zucchini, and shrimp. On the right side was a platter of deliciously shining chicken yakitori.

Mr. Itou watched Rin staring at all the food and smiled. "I realize we still don't know your name young lady."

Rin looked up at his kind face and smiled back. "My name is Rin Muramoto. I'm 18 years old and a senior at Kuroyama High School." She blushed slightly. "It's not around this area though..."

"Muramoto you say?" Mr. Itou's smile faltered slightly. "I used to know a Muramoto a long time ago when I was younger." Sesshoumaru and Rin stared at the silent man. "Well, thank you very much Rin for that introduction. I believe it's only fair that we introduce ourselves too. I think I'll go first." He looked over at Sesshoumaru who eyed him over his bowl. "My name is Akihiro Ito and I am a clasically trained pianist and teacher. As for my age... haha... that will remain my secret. Sesshoumaru, I believe it is your turn. Don't be rude."

Sesshoumaru glared at his teacher. "Sesshoumaru Tessaiga. 22. Tetsu Academy."

"Please excuse my pupil. He does lack proper manners, but he has talent like his mother-"

This time Sesshoumaru slammed his bowl onto the table. "Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother!" He got up onto his feet and disappeared down the stairs. As he left Rin could feel the table shake from beneath her.

"Don't mind him." Mr. Itou shook his head. "I should have known better than to talk about his mother. I know how much he hates that. Sometimes I don't think things through before I speak either." He looked up at Rin and motioned to the food with his chopsticks. "Please don't let all of this spoil your appetite. Eat!"

Rin looked back at the empty staircase. "If you don't mind me asking, sir... The last name Tessaiga... Is his mother Inukimi Tessaiga?" She sat back thoughtfully and selected a small piece of mushroom tempura. "She was the greatest piano prodigy." After realizing her words Rin blushed. "Ne-next to you of course Mr. Itou."

"Ahahaha. My dear child you have no need to speak only kind words to me. I might look old, but I'm not stranger to criticism." Mr. Itou picked a skewer of chicken yakitori and bit a chunk off. "There was once a time when there were critics of my music and my methods as a piano teacher. I've chased quite a few away in my time." He winked at Rin and chuckled. "It takes a strong sort of person to become my student. Sesshoumaru's mother is indeed Inukimi. I don't think I've ever heard the piano played as magnificently as when she commanded it." Rin watched as Mr. Itou stood and walked over to a large bookcase. Looking over the shelves Mr. Itou stopped and pulled out a dusty black photo album. Leafing through the pages he stopped on a particular page and sat down next to Rin again. Handing her the photo album he resumed eating.

There was Mr. Itou, looking significantly younger, and next to him stood the most beautiful woman Rin had ever seen. She was standing poised and completely self-assured. Her pale skin was flawless and her silver hair cascaded neatly over her arms and down her back. Her lips were cherry red and she had the exact same crescent moon on her forehead that Sesshoumaru had on his. The kimono she was wearing spoke volumes about her social status. She was wealth and privilege in human form. "She's..."

"Beautiful and talented. Yes, she truly did have everything. She was what most people could only dream of being." Mr. Itou took a sip of his tea and shook his head sadly. "That's why it was so sad when..." He snapped out of his trance-like state and tapped his forehead. "Ai... I almost did it again. Not thinking. I'm sorry Rin but I cannot tell you anything more. I should not have even allowed this subject to continue past your first question. Sesshoumaru would be gravely upset with me if he knew."

Rin grabbed a few pieces of tempura and yakitori and placed it in a clean bowl. Afterwards she made a bowl of the udon and another clean bowl of rice. Placing the three bowls on a small tray with a cup of green tea, she stood slowly. "Sesshoumaru is probably still hungry... and after seeing how many letters you received... he'll need his strength."

Mr. Itou smiled at her thoughtfulness. "I don't think Sesshoumaru would want to see my face for a while... if he even is still downstairs. Thank you Rin, you're a big help."

"Of course Mr. Itou. I think I have to go home after this too. Thank you for everything" Rin held the tray tightly and walked slowly down the stairs. After seeing a small glow inside Mr. Itou's office she cautiously stepped forward and saw Sesshoumaru speeding through the letters and tossing them into the garbage. "Um... Sesshoumaru?" There was no response and he didn't look like he had heard her either. "I know you have a lot of work to do with all of these letters. I'm sorry for being a bother... I just wanted to bring you some food in case... in case you get hungry." She placed the tray on an empty part of the desk; he still did not budge. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I'm going to leave now."

After the door clicked to signal Rin's departure, Sesshoumaru looked over at the food and sighed. He was still hungry. Reaching over for the bowl of rice and teriyaki, Sesshoumaru began to eat in silence.

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Ina Moramento 


	7. Chapter 7 : Theme Two

**_Flows From Heaven to the Soul_**_**

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**_

_**Author 's Note:**_ My greatest thanks to the following for their kind reviews:

_godisawsome, sweet-, Divine Light of Darkness, sphinx, suena_, and _SSRandomness_

I'm sorry it took so long to get an update but I've gotten too involved with my newest story. I'll be wiser with how I use my time from now on. Onward!

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**Chapter 7 : Theme Two**

_Kuroyama High School_

After last night's brush with Yura's letter, Rin couldn't face her all day. It wasn't as if she usually talked to her, but now she was purposely trying to avoid any eye contact or communication in any way, shape, or form. Yura was exceptionally terrible that day in school as well. She constantly stalked around the school mailbox to make sure there were no contest letters slipping through her fingers. One girl had tried to drop off her letter earlier in the week, but there were dire consequences. Actually, nobody knew the consequences because they didn't have the chance to talk to her. The very next day they were informed by their homeroom teacher that Nanako Yasui, and her family, had moved far away and changed school districts. There was no actual proof that Yura had a hand in any of it, but everyone had a clear idea of what had happened.

Towards the end of the independent study session Yura got up from her seat and walked to the front of the classroom. "I want all of your attention up here. On me." She narrowed her eyes at them. "This is information that you'll _definitely_ want to know." She started to pace up and down the rows. "Reliable sources loyal to my family have informed me that my little letter has made it safely to Mr. Itou's piano studio. As many of you may very well know... I hate to lose. In fact... I _never_ lose." Yura was halfway through the classroom and Rin's stomach tightened as she thought of Yura brushing past her corner seat. "We won't be seeing each other during the weekend... at least... not in school that is." She paused right in front of Rin's desk. "But I want _everyone_ to rest assured that if there are any attempts to go behind my back and submit an entry, they will be completely unsuccessful." As she made her way to exit the classroom she flipped her hair and smiled. "That is all. Have a great weekend everyone."

Rin felt nauseous. She didn't know how Yura might have found out about her trips to Mr. Itou's studio, but it didn't matter. What did matter was that Yura knew, and it pissed her off. Rin was not the confrontational type at all. Worriedly she grabbed her book bag and headed out the classroom. As she made it to the bus stop in front of the school, she kept looking around nervously for signs of Yura or anyone that looked like a possible spy for her. She boarded the bus, paid the fare, and picked a window seat facing the street.

_Nota Music Studio_

Sesshoumaru had just finished an early lesson with Mr. Itou. The Tetsu Academy was having a quarter break and school was out of session for a few days. As he closed the door to the studio he grumbled at the thought that he would still have to come back in an hour to help sort out more contest entries. He crossed the street to his car, hopped in, and started the ignition. As he pulled on his seat belt and looked to see if it was safe to merge onto the road, he stopped at the sight of the large city bus passing in front of him. Squinting as the bus slowly passed his car, he thought he recognized one face in particular sitting near the back window.

_City Bus J18_

It was difficult to look out the window as the bus passed by the Nota music studio. Normally she would have signaled for the bus driver to pull over and drop her off, but after Yura's threat in class, that was no longer a healthy option. Resting her chin on the book bag in her lap, she decided to head over to the public library about five bus stops away. The teacher had assigned the class a research project on an aspect of Japan: culture, economy, government, etc. Rin figured that it would be better to immerse herself in this project so that it could distract her from the contest. As the bus approached the library, Rin tugged the chain above her head to signal the bus driver. He pulled the bus over and Rin got off, heading into the sliding glass doors of the library.

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru had tailed behind the bus, unsure of whether or not it was really Rin in the back of the bus. The back of her head was not enough to distinguish her from all the other girls in the city that had long, black hair. He saw the girl exit the bus, but her back was still turned to him and she was wearing the standard uniform that every high school girl wore. Looking at the clock on his dashboard he decided that he had some time to kill. Unable to think of any better way to spend that time, he decided to turn into the parking lot of the library.

_Osaka Public Library_

As Rin passed by the children's section of the library on the first floor, she noticed a little boy stretching his arms upward, straining to reach a book on the very top shelf. She looked around and saw a librarian from behind the desk start to walk in his direction, but she ended up walking towards the restroom instead. Rin didn't see anyone else, a mother or father come and help the boy, so she decided to walk over and help him herself.

Sesshoumaru walked into the library and quickly read over the map of the library's layout. Tetsu Academy had three different libraries on campus alone, so he never had to stop by the public one. He frowned at the sight of only one staircase leading to the second floor. He didn't think Rin would be on the first floor looking for children's books. Making his way towards the staircase, he caught sight of the uniformed girl from the bus talking to a little boy in the children's section. Her face was in plain view, and this time there was no doubt about who she was. He approached slowly, watching with growing interest as she tried to reach for a book on the top shelf. The shelves themselves reached a little above 6 feet high, and even standing on her toes was not going to help the 5'3'' Rin.

Rin kept reaching for the book, but to no avail.. She squatted a little so that she could talk to him eye to eye. "I'm sorry little one... I can't seem to reach the book either. Is there another book I can help you get?" Rin felt absolutely horrible about not being able to help him, but she just wasn't tall enough.

The little boy shrugged his shoulders. "He got it."

Rin turned her head and almost fell over in shock. "Sess... sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru looked at the book's cover and read it out loud, "Little Brown Bear Says No to Everything." He shrugged his shoulder and handed it to the little boy without acknowledging Rin's presence. "Here you go."

"Thank you!" The little boy grabbed the book and found himself a blue bean bag chair to sit in.

"I can't believe they have such tall shelves for children." Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin who was still squatting. "Do you plan on staying like that for long?"

Rin stood up quickly and brushed off her skirt nervously. "No... no... actually I was just about to go upstairs and do some research for a school project." She made a few quick sidesteps and a small wave. "Well then I guess I'll see you around." As she made her way towards the staircase she could hear footsteps behind her. Turning around she saw Sesshoumaru walking behind her. "Did you have to research something to?"

"Not really."

She looked at him quizzically. "Then why are you following me?"

Sesshoumaru arched a cool eyebrow at her. "What makes you think I'm following you? Am I not allowed in a public library? Besides... you might need more help reaching for books since you're pretty short." He smirked as a pink blush of embarrassment rose on her pale cheeks.

Rin walked quickly up the rest of the stairs and took a seat at a study table. She took out her notebook and read over the directions her teacher had the class copy down in class. Some might think that having free choice would make a project easier, but for Rin, there were just too many different topics to choose from. She felt the notebook being tugged from her hands and she saw Sesshoumaru reading over it as he took the seat across from her. "Free choice? That's easy. What are you going to do it on?"

"Easy?" Rin's heart sank. "How can you say it's easy when I'm having such a hard time deciding what to do? I mean I was born and raised in Japan, but nothing really stands out you know? Besides... I don't know enough about our history, how our politics work, our economy... I find it quite difficult. I don't want to sound like a complete idiot when we present."

He listened to what Rin had to say and he thought quietly for a moment. Rin hung her head, expecting a snide comment. "The whole point of research is to learn something new right? To experience something new? Does your school have a kendo team?"

Rin shook her head. "I've never heard of kendo before... is that Japanese?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, and concentrated hard on suppressing the strong urge to ask Rin if she had been living in a hole her entire life. Instead, he calmly replied, "Yes, it's a Japanese form of martial arts. I assume you've also never seen a kendo match?"

"No..." Rin looked down and fiddled with her hands.

Sesshoumaru looked at his watch, he needed to be back at the studio in ten minutes. "I have to meet Mr. Itou in a little while so I don't have time to explain a lot about kendo to you right now... but how about this. I'll meet you here at the library tomorrow at around... noon? That's if you're interested in making that your research topic?"

Rin looked up at him stunned and grateful at the same time. "You'd really be willing to help me out?"

As he got up to leave, Sesshoumaru pushed in his chair and shrugged. "Why not? I have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow." As Rin watched him walk down the stairs she couldn't help but feel a little better.

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Everyone loves Sesshoumaru x Rin action right? 

Ina Moramento


	8. Chapter 8 : Theme Two Continued

**_Flows From Heaven to the Soul_**

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**Author 's Note**: So much thanks to the following: 

_suena, godisawsome, CiceroGuided, segumisama, sphinx, sweet-, _and _karina_

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**Chapter 8 :** **Theme Two (continued)**

Sesshoumaru fiddled with the face of his watch, 11:45. 15 minutes until noon. 15 minutes until his meeting with Rin. Sesshoumaru wasn't standing in front of the library doors, though. In reality, he was standing across the street, black sunglasses on, pretending to read a newspaper while glancing over to see if Rin was there. He'd be damned if he let her stand him up.

Rin glanced over the shoulder of the bus driver and looked at the time on the dashboard, 11:55. 5 minutes until noon. 5 minutes until her meeting with Sesshoumaru. Rin looked into the huge mirror at the front of the bus and checked over her hair and teeth. She knew it wasn't a date... but she'd be damned if she let him make fun of the way she looked. "Oh no! Bus driver! Driver! Please let me off now!"

She had been so busy looking herself over that she didn't notice that the bus had already passed the library, and was turning left around the corner. She bowed repeatedly to the bus driver as he yelled about having to pull over in an unauthorized area. After the doors finally swung open, Rin hugged her book bag and ran as fast as she could towards the library.

12:03. Sesshoumaru grumbled to himself and was about to walk back to his car and leave when he saw a frazzled Rin running around the corner, completely passing him by. His mouth opened wide as he watched a car break quickly and honk as she ran right in front of it to get to the library. "This girl is crazy..."

Rin finally stood in front of the library, hands on her knees, bent over and breathing hard. She didn't even see that car coming! She slapped her forehead and whispered, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"I'll have to agree with you on that one."

Horrified, Rin looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing in front of her with black shades on. She stood up straight and cringed at how she must look. It took a little longer for her breathing rate to return to normal, and she could feel her cheeks start to burn. "Sess-sesshoumaru..." She looked up at him with a half smile. "At least I got here on time!"

"Actually..." Sesshoumaru looked at his watch. "You are 5 minutes late... but nice try. Anyways... if we hurry, we can get to the match on time. Come on." Rin followed dejectedly behind Sesshoumaru as he made his way to his car. Rin's jaw nearly hit the floor as she stared at the shiny black BMW; she was afraid to touch it. "We don't have all day."

Rin snapped out of her momentary trance and slid into the car seat. This was going to be a long ride.

_Tetsu Academy Kendo Auditorium_

"It's an _all male_ university?" Since stepping onto the campus, she had not seen a single female face. Rin felt very self-conscious at the moment and avoided meeting all the inquisitive gazes of the college men. She followed close behind Sesshoumaru, while still remaining at a respectful distance.

The doors to the auditorium automatically opened for Sesshoumaru and Rin, but when they got to another set of doors, Sesshoumaru had to scan his ID in. "Yes, Tetsu Academy is an _all male_ university. And this... is where the kendo team practices."

As the doors opened wide, Rin's eyes grew wide at the sight of the large room and the many men sparring one-on-one. Of course, being the only girl, she got quite a few stares herself.

"Hey! Sesshoumaru!" Three of guys came running up to him, but they stopped when they saw Rin.

"Who's that?" One of them asked, eyeing Rin.

Another one of the other guys hit him on the head. "That's obviously Sesshoumaru's girlfriend."

The third guy shook his head. "No, man... can't be. Sesshoumaru is flying solo. It's got to be his cousin... Besides, you like being the big bachelor on campus don't you, Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru stared at them. "She's _not _my girlfriend or my cousin. She's here to learn about kendo."

"Well in that case... I'm sure you wouldn't mind if _I _show her how its done."

Rin felt an arm encircle around her shoulders, and she looked up to see a handsome man with long black hair and pale skin. He looked down at her and smirked. She blushed a little bit when she felt a hand around her right wrist tug her away. "Back off, Naraku." Sesshoumaru said coldly.

The other man snapped back at Sesshoumaru. "Come on Sesshoumaru... who else can teach her the ways of kendo better than the team captain? Besides... you gave up that position a while ago. That sure shows a lot of dedication on your part, right?" He turned to Rin and smiled again. "I'm sure you wouldn't protest if I showed you around?"

Sesshoumaru stood in front of Rin. "Watch what you say, Naraku. I might not be the team captain any longer, but that doesn't mean I can't beat you. You're second rate at best. Rin, let's go."

"Nice to meet you, _Rin_." Naraku winked at her and waved.

Rin lowered her eyes and ran after Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru! Sesshoumaru, wait!" Sesshoumaru didn't stop until he got back to his car and Rin hurriedly jumped in just as he started the ignition. "Who was that?"

"The biggest piece of shit on the face of the Earth." Sesshoumaru was speeding through the streets, making sharp turns, and breaking quickly at stoplights in between. "I can't help you today, Rin." They were nearing the library again. "Something has come up."

Rin looked out the window to hide her disappointment. "That's ok... I understand."

He pulled up next to the sidewalk in front of the library and unlocked the doors. "How about tomorrow? Same time?"

"Sure!" Rin bit her lip and smiled bashfully. "I mean... that's great. Thank you!" She got out of the car and closed the door gently behind her.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Tomorrow then."

Without another word he was off.

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Hm... Naraku? 

Ina Moramento


	9. Chapter 9 : Codetta

**_Flows From Heaven to the Soul_**_**

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**_

_**Author 's Note:**_ Thanks to the following:

_TurtleHugs, godisawsome, Beckiyami, cassandra, __Nariko-Sama__, Akuma no Kodomo, ChildlikeEmpress, __MindIIBody_, and _alana124pyro_

_**

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**Chapter 9 : Codetta**

"Oh no..." Rin stared at the locked doors of the public library. "I really didn't know that it wasn't open at noon on Sundays. I'm really sorry for wasting your time, Sesshoumaru." As she prepared to walk away, she heard a sigh tinted with a little irritation.

Sesshoumaru looked at the library's hours of operation pasted on the doors and ran his right hand through his hair in frustration; he should have checked the time online before he made any plans. "It's nobody's fault, stop apologizing for small things like that."

Rin held her tote bag a little tighter and stopped in her place, afraid to look at him.

He looked around this unfamiliar area before checking his watch. "Well, it says that the library will be open at around two o'clock in the afternoon." Pausing for a split second, he sighed again. "There's no use in going home and then meeting back here again. Why don't we just kill some time and get something to eat for lunch?"

This time Rin couldn't help but stare at him. "L-lunch?" This was dangerous territory. A bit embarrassed, Rin thought about the small lunch she had already packed inside her bag. "I... already brought a lunch..."

"I highly doubt that what you brought can feed two people, so lets just eat somewhere." Sesshoumaru fished his car keys out of his right pocket.

"But... I didn't bring that much money with me today." In truth, Rin didn't have more than a couple hundred yen in her small coin purse for emergency bus money. "I wasn't planning on eating ou-"

"And neither of us planned for the library being closed, either. So, the least you could do is stop protesting everything and actually cooperate for once!" Sesshoumaru pressed the button on the key and unlocked his car. Walking over to the other side he noticed Rin still hesitating. Struggling to contain his frustration, he toned down his voice. "Don't worry, ok? I'll pay for it. You probably don't eat much anyways."

Rin approached the car, but didn't get it.

Sesshoumaru rolled down the window on her side. "And you can pay me back later, too. Now get in already!"

Rin felt a little more comfortable with his last statement, despite his tone, and she opened the car door, slipping onto the seat.

_20 Minutes Later_

"Welcome, Mr. Tessaiga!" A trio of pretty waitresses bowed in unison as Sesshoumaru walked through the doors of _Un Cafe, _an obviously trendy restaurant. The Tessaiga family was well known, and certainly well liked for their wealth and power. For women, however, it was just an added bonus that Sesshoumaru was so handsome. The three waitresses gave each other death glares and tried to scramble to be the one to serve him first.

The tallest one broke free of the other two and hurried over to Sesshoumaru with a menu in her hand. "Mr. Tessaiga, your single table is reserved at your usual spot!"

"I don't need it today. I want a table for two."

The waitress, lost in her fantasy relationship with Sesshoumaru, led him to a secluded table for two at the back of the restaurant. She was about to take the seat across from him, thinking that he had finally fallen into her charms, when she saw him look directly over her shoulder and call out, "Over here, Rin." Turning to look at the shocked waitress, Sesshoumaru tapped the single menu on the table. "I'll need another menu, too."

Still a little bit dazed, the waitress merely nodded and stood up to get the other menu. "Right away, Mr. Tessaiga." As she walked towards the front desk for another menu, she almost bumped into Rin.

Rin turned around and gave a quick bow. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Mmhm... I'm sure you are." The waitress gave Rin a disgusted look as she looked her up and down. Turning back towards the front desk, she glumly handed the extra menu to another waitress. "Mr. Tessaiga needed this extra menu, he's at Table 5A. Why don't you take it to him, Yumi?"

Yumi's mouth fell open in surprise. But not wanting to give the other waitress time to reconsider serving Mr. Tessaiga, Yumi grabbed the menu and smiled. "Only if you insist, Jade!"

As Yumi happily headed over to Table 5A, she patted her hair with her free right hand. But as she rounded some decorative plants and statues, her hand went limp. Looking over at Sesshoumaru, she saw that he was not alone. So _that_, was why Jade had given it up.

Sesshoumaru saw a different waitress holding the menu. "It took you long enough. We're the only people in this place and you're taking forever. Where's the manager?!"

Yumi ran quickly to the table and handed him the menu. "I-I'm sorry Mr. Tessaiga. I hurried over as quickly as I could, but the other waitress didn-"

He held up his hand to silence her. "Don't waste any more of my time with your excuses. Get a more competent person to take our order in a few minutes."

Rin gave a small smile to Yumi, but Yumi returned it with a cold glare before running off to get another waiter.

Being burned twice by two people left Rin feeling very uncomfortable. "Um, Sesshoumaru... I really don't-"

"Ignore them and order what you like." His eyes never left the menu.

Rin bit her lip as she looked at the menu. The cheapest item on it was a small fruit salad for 2,300 yen, roughly the equivalent of 20 US dollars.

This time an older waiter came over to their table. "Good afternoon, Mr. Tessaiga. Good afternoon, Miss. May I take your order?"

Rin put down her menu and nodded slowly. "I'll get the fruit salad, please... and the water is fine for me."

The waiter finished writing on his pad and looked at Rin again, as if expecting her to order something else in addition to the fruit. After a few moments of awkward silence, he realized that she was not going to get anything else. "Very good, miss. And you, Mr. Tessaiga, what would you like?"

"I'll get the seafood linguine, filet mignon medium rare, a few side orders of the lobster tail with buttery lemon sauce, and the steamed asparagus shoots in soy sauce." He turned the pages of the menu over again before closing it and putting it on the table. "And for the appetizer I think the focaccia bread with pesto sauce will do. That's it."

As the waiter finished writing down their order, he scooped up the menus. "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure your appetizers are out in a few minutes and the entrees will follow not too long after that."

Rin could only stare at Sesshoumaru as he drank some water. "Are you really going to eat all of that?"

He held the glass down for a moment, completely unfazed. "No. You're going to eat it, too."

"I'm really not that hungry..." Rin held up her tote bag. "Besides, I told you I brought food."

"And you can eat that food too. But, not when we're in a restaurant, that's rude." He took another sip of his water and Rin swore she almost saw him raise his eyebrow jokingly. But when the glass met the table again, Sesshoumaru's impassive face was set in place again.

"Hey, look... it's Sesshoumaru!"

"Oh man... it is him! Wait, isn't that that girl from yesterday?"

"Yeah, it is her! What was her name again?"

Rin turned around in her seat and saw the three guys from yesterday coming towards them. Sesshoumaru didn't look too pleased to see them, but then again, he never really seemed capable of being excited over anything.

When they reached the table, one of the guys looked at Rin questioningly. "What's your name again? _Ri_?"

The next guy hit him on the shoulder. "That's not her name! It's something like _Rian, _right?"

The last guy shook his head. "No way... it's got to be _Ran."_

Rin tried her hardest not to laugh in their faces. "I'm sorry, but none of those are correct. My name is _Rin _Muramoto."

The last to speak shrugged his shoulders. "Well at least I was the closest."

"You were not, punk!"

Sesshoumaru looked up, clearly annoyed. "What the hell are you guys doing here?" All three of them stopped their bickering and faced Sesshoumaru silently. "If you have nothing important to say, then I suggest you-"

"Stay and eat with us!" Sesshoumaru looked at Rin, who could scarcely believe she had spoken out herself. She turned to look at him and shrugged. "That is, if it's alright with Sesshoumaru..."

Sesshoumaru put down his now empty glass of water and shrugged in resignation. "We're going to need a bigger table." The three guys cheered and startled the waiter who was arriving with the appetizer. "Is anybody using the function room right now?"

The waiter thought to himself for a moment and shook his head. "No, sir. It's not occupied at the moment and I don't think anyone has it reserved for today. Would you like to move everything in there to accomodate your friends?"

"Yes, that's fine." Sesshoumaru stood to his feet. He knew these three guys would most likely turn the restaurant upside down. He had better get a private setting if he wanted to save any face.

_3 Hours Later_

Sesshoumaru's foresight into getting a separate room had definitely been the best idea of the day; the laughter and shouting was enough to break a couple of windows. But during their seating at the private room's round table, Sesshoumaru wasn't quite sure how Rin had ended up across the table from him, much less surrounded on either side by his three friends. He also wasn't sure how five people could finish every dish on the menu of a restaurant.

Another outburst of laughter came from the three guys, with Rin covering her mouth with her right hand. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. As he stretched out his arms, his eyes came over his watch and widened at what time it was. "3:40 PM?!" The group stopped laughing and all eyes focused on Sesshoumaru. "You do realize that you have been babbling nonstop for three_ hours_! This is ridiculous. Rin, we have to go now." He stood to his feet and Rin quickly up to follow him.

"It was nice to meet you..." Rin paused and blushed. She realized that during the entire time she still had not gotten their names.

One of them stood up first. "Toju Hama."

Another one stood. "Sen Akimoto, and..."

"Makoto Teshima!"

Rin smiled at them and gave a small bow. "Nice to meet you all!" She noticed that Sesshoumaru was impatiently waiting at the exit for her. "I'll see you around!"

"Bye, Rin! Bye, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru let Rin exit first and he shot them all a nasty glare as he left. Walking over to his car, he noticed that Rin was trying to hide a big smile. "What's so funny?"

"Your friends... they're... hahaha." Rin dissolved into a small fit of giggles as she got into the car. She definitely had had a good time.

Sesshoumaru mumbled something under his breath as he started the ignition and drove towards the library.

_4 Hours Later_

Just as Sesshoumaru came back to their table carrying a stack of books, he noticed that Rin's head was resting on top of her folded arms. He set the books down on the table and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, but she was fast asleep. There was no way he could carry her all the way down the stairs and drive her home since he didn't know where she lived. Scanning the table littered with textbooks with his eyes, he found her small tote bag hidden beneath a pile of papers. Moving past the small container of what he assumed was the lunch she had mentioned earlier, he fished inside for her wallet, hoping to find her address scribbled somewhere. He felt soft fabric and when he pulled the object out, it was a plain-white drawstring coin purse. Putting the tote bag back onto the table, he wondered why she didn't have a cellphone, either.

As he undid the strings, he noticed a crushed white envelope next to a few yen bills. Taking out the envelope and pulling the strings back in place, he sat down in his seat across from Rin and smoothed the envelope out, intrigued by the address :

_Nota Music Studio / 918 Sterling Avenue / Re: Contest Entry_

He stared at Rin's sleeping form, confused. _'If Rin wanted to enter the competition, why didn't she give this to me earlier?'_ He paused to check that she was still deep in sleep before he deftly undid the back flap of the envelope and pulled out a small sheet of paper. There was a total of four lines of text on the entire sheet. Sesshoumaru kept turning the paper over and over again, determined to find something else, but that was it. Turning back to the front side, he read over the lines :

_"Music speaks what cannot be expressed,  
soothes the mind and gives it rest,  
heals the heart and makes it whole,  
flows from heaven to the soul." _

_Rin Muramoto_

"Uhnnn..." Rin started to stir in her sleep.

Panicking, Sesshoumaru quickly stuffed the letter back into the envelope and the envelope back into the drawstring bag, before throwing it hastily into her tote bag. Just in time.

Rin lifted up her head, her eyes half open. "Sesshoumaru?" She rubbed away the sleep from her eyes and struggled to regain consciousness. As the sight of so many books brought back where she was, Rin gasped. "Goodness... what time is it?"

Sesshoumaru checked his watch. "7:40 P-"

"Oh no! There's a bus that comes around this time... I'm going to miss it!" She scrambled around to grab her bag and leave. Looking back at the books, she sighed. "I'll have to check them out later, I guess..." Turning to Sesshoumaru, she smiled. "Thank you for today, Sesshoumaru! Goodnight!"

Sesshoumaru watched as she ran down the stairs before he stood up to stack the books together. His phone began to vibrate on the desk and he flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Sesshoumaru, where are you?!" Mr. Itou's voice came out loud and clear. "You should have been at the studio helping me sort out the entries, but nevermind! I did it all myself and I picked out the winner. The envelope is here at the studio, but I need you to come by, pick it up, and deliver it to the newspaper station so that they can publish it before tomorrow morning. Are you listening to me?!"

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Without waiting for a verbal conversation, Sesshoumaru snapped his phone shut and headed down the stairs, out the library, and towards his car.

_Nota Music Studio_

"Finally! What took you so long?!" Mr. Itou had been watching through the glass window of his studio when Sesshoumaru parked his car near the curb. "Here's the envelope. You don't have to come back here after you deliver that, just go home. I will, however, see you tomorrow for another lesson. Now hurry up!"

Sesshoumaru took the envelope from Mr. Itou's hand and put it on the empty seat next to him before he drove off for the local newspaper's printing headquarters.

_The Osaka Daily Headquarters_

"Mr. Itou told me to deliver the name of the winner here."

"Ah, yes. Thank you very much." A spectacled man took the envelope from Sesshoumaru. "Make sure to thank you teacher for this. The company has received a record amount of orders for tomorrow's newspaper. I'm sure it is going to be a big surprise!"

Sesshoumaru nodded as he exited the main door and headed for his car.

It would be a big surprise indeed.

**

* * *

**

Haven't you ever sat and talked to friends at a restaurant for hours?

I realize that I haven't been putting disclaimers, but I hope it's obvious that I don't own Inuyasha. I also don't own the poem, either. This poem was in my old piano teacher's studio and yes, it was also called Nota Music. Wonder where the inspiration comes from...

2,810 words. You made it!

Until next time,

Ina Moramento


	10. Chapter 10

That was some hiatus, huh? ;)

I really want to complete this story so I'm just going to keep writing as much as I can whenever I can. This probably means that the story might, oh heck it _will_, jump around quite a bit and will need a massive revision in the end. Please bear with me.

* * *

_Kuroyama High School_

Today was the day.

Rin couldn't help the jumbled mess of feelings she was experiencing as she walked towards her high school. On the one hand she kept beating herself up over her cowardice, over letting Yura and her own mocking inner self keep her from entering the competition. On the other hand, the small yet insistent voice of her optimistic side kept whispering 'what ifs' that made her feel hopelessly guilty for not at least trying. Rin stopped walking and looked up at the tall, slightly shabby building that was her high school. She sighed and shook her head. There was no changing what had happened. Her indecision had become her decision and that was just going to be that.

As the sliding doors opened for Rin, she could see that every student and teacher in the hallway had a copy of that day's edition of "The Osaka Daily" in their hands.

"Damn." Rin's eyes landed on a guy at her right who closed his copy of the paper loudly and rolled his eyes until they met with hers. Upon seeing that she didn't have a copy of the paper, he shrugged his shoulders and handed his paper to her. "Here. In case you haven't heard about who won. Neither of them was me…"

Rin clutched the paper and quizzically watched as the guy headed into the sea of students in the main hallway muttering under his breath. Wondering about the word 'neither', she shakily unfolded the paper and scanned over the front page headline: "Contest Tie a Shocking Twist". So that was what he had meant… there had been a tie. The large, bolded title easily took up half of the front page and the actual article took up the last half.

"In a shocking twist to renowned pianist Akihiro Itou's already groundbreaking contest, a tie was announced between Ai Hashimoto and Rin Muramoto, both freshman students at Kuroyama High School in the Osaka prefecture."

The world froze for Rin. She didn't remember entering the contest. Just last night she had taken out the crumpled white envelope of her would-be entry and tossed it into the garbage can. How in the world had this happened? Questions kept swirling around in her mind so she read on.

"As the editor of 'The Osaka Daily', I received the contest results late last night and was surprised to find not one, but two entries, and a short letter explaining the tie and what was to happen next. First off, let me extend my congratulations to both Ai and Rin. Their entries were different, but equally striking. Both entries have been reprinted below this article for all to read. Next, it is my duty to assuage the big question on everyone's mind: What will happen next? Well, I'm afraid all I have to pass on at the moment are the instructions from Mr. Itou's letter. The two girls are to report to his studio at 6 PM this afternoon for further instructions. Rest assured, however, that as soon as any new details come to light, 'The Osaka Daily' will be there. I'm sure everyone will want to stay tuned as this fascinating story develops."

Rin's eyes trailed down to the bottom of the page where both entries had been reprinted, Yura's lies and her own little poem:

Ai Hashimoto:

Rin Muramoto:

"Oh no…" Rin whispered to herself as the small feeling of hope she was beginning to feel over the news was instantly cut down with the terrifying thought of the reaction of a most dreadful person, "Yura."

And as luck would have it, it was at that exact same moment that Yura came marching down the hallway straight for her. Rin felt her shoulders sag a little as the swarm of students immediately parted like the Red Sea to either side of the hallway. Nobody at school had paid any attention to Rin, the quiet little freshman. She had managed to spend the first part of the semester flitting from class to class without much trouble or fanfare. But that was all about to be in the past now that Yura had set her sights on her. Now there would be both, but with a much greater measure of trouble for Rin.

Yura stopped a few feet away from Rin and began to take slow, deliberate steps in a circle around her as she spoke. "Rin... Rin Muramoto." Yura continued to pace and stare at Rin like a predator circling around its prey. "You have got to be the luckiest unluckiest person in the world right now. You see, you're lucky that I technically won the competition, and am in a fairly good mood right now. However…" Yura finally completed her way around Rin and was now taking steps closer to her. "I also technically lost as well. I don't settle for second and a tie simply won't do. Besides, I know I gave a specific warning to everyone _not_ to try me, a warning which you obviously defied. It is in this sense that you are a very unlucky person."

Rin could practically feel each of Yura's words because of their close proximity. But in an instant, Yura took a step back and simply stared admiringly at the impact her words had had on Rin. Without breaking her stare, Yura put her right hand in her jacket pocket and pulled out a long white envelope. She tapped the envelope a few times against her lips as they formed into a wicked grin. "As much as I'm enjoying your current state, I can't waste any more of my time speaking to you. All that's left to explain is in this letter anyways. Here." Yura flippantly tossed the letter in Rin's general direction and the poor girl had to make an awkward grab for it. "See you later… maybe." With that Yura tossed her head back with a loud laugh and walked off.

As Yura left, the students returned to their tiny huddles and began to throw looks at Rin as they gossiped away.

"Did you hear that?"

"That girl is in for it now!"

"I wouldn't mess with Yura."

"Well she knew the consequences."

Rin bit her lower lip. The sudden limelight and scrutiny being cast upon her after all of the other surprises and encounters was just too much to take in just one short morning. Not willing to allow others to see her cry, she turned around and ran straight for the sliding doors. She kept on running, ignoring the sound of the bell signaling first period, and passed block by block until she found herself at the public park.

She stumbled to an empty park bench near the children's sandbox and sat down to catch her breath. Leaning back, she looked up at the sky and felt some rays of sunlight scan her face through the thick foliage of a tree that overshadowed her. It was too beautiful of a day for her to be feeling so awful. Rin looked down at her right hand and realized that she had crushed the letter when she had balled her hands into fists as she ran. Slowly relaxing her right hand, Rin allowed the letter to fall into her lap. She was afraid to open it, but she knew that delaying it was not going to make circumstances any better.

Taking a shallow breath, Rin held the letter with her left hand as she undid the flap with her right. Inside was a single sheet of folded paper. As she unfolded the paper the tears she had been holding back began to spill forth: it was a notice of eviction from her apartment.

So these were the consequences.

_

* * *

_

_Nota Music Studio _

"Sesshoumaru, I'm sure you can imagine my _surprise_, when I read the newspaper this morning." Mr. Itou was looking intently at his pupil sitting across the room on the piano bench.

Sesshoumaru didn't bother to look up at his teacher; instead, he was too busy staring nonchalantly at the ivory keys of the grand piano before him. "I can't imagine why you would be surprised, actually, since you were the one that decided upon the results. What I'm surprised about is the fact that you're the one stalling this lesson."

Mr. Itou frowned as he strode towards the piano. "You know _exactly_ what I'm surprised about! You changed the results and now there is a tie and apparently I have asked both girls to be here within the next two hours! What exactly am I supposed to tell them?!"

"I don't know, teacher. This is _your_ competition after all. I'm just the student and the messenger." Sesshoumaru continued to stare at the piano.

"You are the most ann-" Mr. Itou was just beginning his rant when he heard a small beep signaling that the front door had been opened. "Great… they decided to show up early. This is all _your_ fault you know?" Sesshoumaru just rolled his eyes.

Mr. Itou walked out of the room and headed down the hallway to the front waiting area. Much to his surprise, he came face to face with a slightly puffy-faced Rin. "Rin you're two hours early… Have you been crying? Are you alright?" Even if Mr. Itou hadn't been the one to pick out Rin's entry, when he had read her short poem in the paper he knew it was definitely the one.

"I'm fine," Rin lied. She managed a small smile and continued with the polite little speech she had rehearsed for hours at the park. "Mr. Itou I really do thank you for the opportunity to learn to play the piano, but I'm afraid I've had a change of heart and will have to decline. I'm sorry for wasting your time." With a quick bow she ran out the door too quickly for a very confused Mr. Itou to follow.

As he was about to head back to the room, Sesshoumaru emerged from the hallway with an annoyed look on his face. "What is taking you so long? Can we just start this lesson and get it over with? Who was it anyways?"

"It was Rin, but she left just a second ago. She just came to say that she changed her mind about the lessons and wanted to withdraw. I guess we can just tell the papers that Ai was the winn- Sesshoumaru!" Mr. Itou could only watch as his student became the second person to run out on him in the span of a few minutes. "The youth of this generation have absolutely _no_ respect." He continued to mutter to himself as he walked back to the practice room.

Sesshoumaru looked around trying to find out which way Rin had run when he caught sight of her uniformed self disappear around the corner of the building to his left. Taking off at full speed he sprinted down the street and around the corner. "Rin!"

Rin looked over her shoulder at Sesshoumaru with a slight look of horror. Instead of slowing down or stopping, she simply looked away and began to run faster. Sesshoumaru was a little shocked that Rin could run so fast, but as an athlete, he was able to eventually catch up to her a few blocks later as she began to tire. As he neared her, he lunged forward and grabbed her right arm to stop her. "Rin! Will you just stop?"

Rin realized the futility of trying to get away and just dropped her head to try and regain her breath. Sesshoumaru was breathing hard as he stared at her. "Why didn't you just stop? What happened at the studio? What was Mr. Itou talking about?"

"I-I…" Rin was breathing too hard to form complete sentences and she began to feel that light headedness that always accompanies a short burst and sudden stop in action. To make matters worse, Rin's stomach also began to grumble.

"Was that your stomach?" Sesshoumaru had already regained his composure and had honed in on the light rumbling sound. "Did you eat anything for lunch?"

"No… I was too… upset." Rin was beginning to catch her breath when she felt a strong hand encircle her right wrist and pull her up the street. She knew struggling was useless so she followed silently behind Sesshoumaru as he walked towards his car.

"Get in and we'll go get something to eat. You don't have to be back at the studio until 6 so we have an hour or so. You can explain to me what this is all about then." Rin knew that Sesshoumaru wasn't asking, he was dictating.

And as her stomach gave another embarrassing grumble, she couldn't say it bothered her in the least.

* * *

_Un Café_

Rin was too hungry to be bothered with caring about the nasty glares the waitresses were again shooting her way. She was also too hungry to really care about Sesshoumaru's silent assessment of her suddenly nonexistent table manners. All she could care about at the moment was viciously digging into the huge prime rib in front of her. Luckily for her, Sesshoumaru patiently waited for her to satisfy her appetite and regain her strength before he asked her what was going on.

As the gnawing hunger pangs became replaced with a heavy feeling of fullness, Rin slowed down and placed her fork and knife on the plate. Suddenly aware of the spectacle she had made of herself, she lowered her eyes and muttered a quick "Thank you".

"You're not quite welcome yet." Rin looked up and met Sesshoumaru's inquisitive gaze. "Now that you're… alright, I want to know what's going on. Don't skimp on the details or lie. I want to know the truth about everything."

Rin sighed. "Fine. Well, I was really excited to hear about the contest so I wrote a little poem that expressed my feelings about music. I never entered it though, because a classmate threatened… Gosh, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I'm scared of my classmate Yura because she threatened that if anyone entered the competition she would get even with them. I-I honestly don't remember entering anything in and I have no idea how it got to Mr. Itou much less to the paper as a winning entry." Rin began to falter. "I-I didn't mean to cause trouble or anything, but this morning Yura cornered me at school and gave me this…" She took out a crumpled ball from her jacket pocket and held it out. Sesshoumaru reached over and took it as Rin continued on. "It-it's an eviction notice. I had to back out of the competition! If I get kicked out of my apartment I'll have nowhere else to go… No matter how much I want this, I can't jeopardize my home…" Rin's voice broke and tears began to trickle down her face.

Sesshoumaru was reading over the letter and his eyes narrowed. "The other competition winner, Ai, did Yura threaten her the same way?"

Rin looked up at him in surprise. "Th-that's right… you don't know."

If there was one thing Sesshoumaru didn't like, it was not knowing about all of the details in a given situation. "Rin, what don't I know?"

"Ai Hashimoto doesn't really exist. It's just Yura. Yura fabricated that entry and wrote it under another name when it's really her."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and Rin thought his entire face resembled a stone in its immovability. "It's almost 6. We have to get back to the studio." His eyes opened and he looked as if nothing had happened. "Let's go." He took a few bills from his wallet and left them on the table.

Rin opened her mouth to question whether or not he had just heard everything she had told him when he looked straight at her and said, "We don't want to be late."

With that all questions were snuffed out in his confident tone and Rin could only follow after him and wonder what exactly was going to happen next.

* * *

I know I'm quite rusty but… what did you think?

- Ina M.


End file.
